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Day Zero pushed out to May 11 as farmers’ water usage falls

05 February 2018 - 18:09
John Viljoen

Picture: DAVID HARRISON

Cape Town, contending with the worst drought on record, has pushed out the estimated date on which it may have to turn off water supplies to residents by more than four weeks to May 11, as use by farmers declines.

Farmers draw about 30% of water supplies serving Cape Town, a figure that’s estimated to drop to about 15% in March and 10% in April, the city said in a statement on Monday.

Day Zero, when most taps could be turned off and residents would need to queue for a daily ration of 25l each, was projected for April 16, last week.

Cape Town residents have failed to reduce urban water consumption significantly and must continue to use no more than 50l each a day to stretch dwindling supplies, deputy mayor Ian Neilson said in the statement. Dams supplying the city were an average of 25.5% full, compared with 26.3% a week earlier. Residents were using 547-million litres a day, above authorities’ target of 450-million liters.